Knitted fabric and process for knitting the same



, March 14, 1939. L LAWSON ET AL 2,150,773v

KNITTED FABRIC AND PROCESS FOR KNITTING THE SAME Filed Jan. 25, 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTas'.'

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KNITTED FABRIC AND PROCESS FOR KNITTING THE SAME Filed Jan. 25, 1935 4 Shee'cs-Sheet 2 n INVENTOR s.-

.To HN LAWS o N RoE/PT E LAWSoN March 14, 1939- J. I AwsoN ET AL 2,150,773

KNI'II'TED FABRIC AND PROCESS FOR KNITTING THE SAME Filed Jan. 25, 1933 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN VEA/TOR s z To HN LAWS 0N 4oliiEJE'll H. LA WSON B YI ATTY.

March 14, 1939. v Jj LAWSON ET AL 2,150,773

KNITTED FABRIC' AND PROCESS FOR KNITTING THE SAME Filed Jan. 25, 1933 4 sheets-sheet 4 FI c. 7.

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-tion as to all common subject matter.

`Patented Mar. 14, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT ol-Flca KNTTTED FABRIC AND PROCESS Foa xm'r'rrNG 'ma SAME John lawson, Bristol, and Robert H. Lawson,

Pawtucket, R. I., assignors to Hemphill Company, Central Falls, Massachusetts R. I., a corporation of Application January za, 1933,4 serial No. 653,150

9 Claims.

lengthwise of the stockingand characterized by .specifically to the knitting -of stripes or gures by means of a wrapping of yarn or thread fed to certain selected needles in each course of knitting, in the manner disclosed in the patent to Lawson and Lawson1,702,608, February 19, 1929, of winch the present application is a continua- This application is also a continuation, as to all common subject matter, of application Ser. No. 333,318, filed January 18, 1929.

For purposes of illustration, Flgs.'26 of the drawings, which show the inner or rear faces of the several fabrics, show body yarns as well as plating yarns in the plain plated wales, and all three yarns-including the Wrap stripe 4yarn---in some of the wrap stripe wales; although actually the body yarns alone show, or show more prominently, at the inner faces of the fabrics.. Of course, where reverse plating occurs the body yarn shows at the face wales, and the plain plattures of the stitches particularly where the stripes are knitted, all forms showing the oating of certain-of the knitting yarns or threads back of the.

wrapping of yarn or thread forming the stripe or other gured design;

Flg.'7 is a view of a few wales and courses of a lfabric showing stepped designs; p Fig. 8 is a view of a few wales and courses of a fabric similar to Fig. 7 but showing a single wrap stripe Wale following which are shown spaced, wrap stripe wales; and

Fig. 9 is a view somewhat similar to Fig. 8 but showing the wrap stripe wales as having' wrap threads knitted therein;

Fig. l shows to a greatly enlarged scale a fabric knitted as in Fig. 4, but wherein the wrap ornamentalportion is somewhat of the shape i'ndlcated at Fig. 1 but being a solid pattern.

When knitting the so-called lap stripe with an additional wrapping of yarn or thread the main or body yarn is also knittedby the needles that knit the wrapping yarn. If two yarns or threads only are fed to the needles, the lap stripe shows clearly; but if it is desired to combine 'the lap stripe with reverse plating then it'becomes dimf. cult to knit vthe main, the plain plating and the wrapping yarns, when knitting wide stripes, without the plain plating yarn breaking the continuity of the lap stripe.

The various forms of the fabrics disclosed in the drawings and specication all have two yarns, namely, a main or body yarn and a plain plating yarn, both yarns being knit-in throughout the wales not within the lap stripe areas, designs being knitted by reversing the body and lplain plating yarns, as indicated at D, Fig.` 1, in' the wales not supplied with the .lap'stripe plating yarn; or the body yarn may be knit-in throughout andthe plating yarn substantially throughout but oated back of the body yarn wheredesigns or other figured effects are desired as at E, Flg.1, the body yarn showing upon the face of the fabric at the wales where the plain plating yarn oats.

During the knitting of the lap stripe, the plain plating yarn is floatedl back of all the lap stripe wales or some of .them only, whereby, at. said wales, not more than two yarns will be knit-in,

the plain plating andin some cases also the main yarn or thread floating back of such wales toplating yarn.V vThe body yarn even where knit-in with the lap stripe yarn does Inot show through on the front face of the fabric, the lap stripe or reinforcing yarn effectively plating thereover,

vgether with the rear stretches of the lap stripe and overcoming the objection of imperfect plating vmore or less apparent when knitting wide stripes with the lap stripe plating, Plain plating, and body yarns all knit-in at the same wales.

Fig. 1 of the drawings shows a striped stocking or halfhose indicated generally by the reference character A, said half-hose having knitted therein vertical stripes B some of which-span more wales than the others. At C are shown stepped, lap stripe designs made possible by selective control of the needles.- The half-hose shows the stripes extendingthroughout the leg and' foot portions thereof though, if desired, the stripes may be omitted fromcertain portions as in the sole. During heel and toe knitting .the striping yarns are idle and consequently do not show.

In Fig. 2 is shown the preferred form of several different fabric structures that overcome the objection of imperfect plating, the numeral I indif eating the last plain plated Wale; 2A the first lap or wrap stripe Wale; 3, 4, 5 the intermediate lap stripe wales; 6 the last lap stripe Wale; I the following plain plated Wale. In this form the plain plating yarn 8 floats across all of the wales of the lap stripe areas, which though shown in Fig. 2 and Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6 as consisting of the same number of Wales, from course to course, may, as

disclosed in Fig. l at C, Vary from course to course. The body yarn 9, Fig. 2, on the other hand, is knitin throughout the lap stripe areas as Well as in the plain plated portion of the stocking or fabric. The lap stripe plating yarn I is fed to the selected needles by wrapping the said yarn therearound, the rear or non-knitted portions of the wrapping yarn appearing as floats back of the knitted wales. Each lap stripe float passes to the rear of the plain plating yarn float, then around again forward of the said float Where it is caught by the rst needle in the following course and knit-in t0- gether with the main yarn, the lap stripe and plain plating yarn floats thus interlocking. The striped fabric shown in said Fig. 2 is uniform throughout to the extent that there are two knit-in yarns in all of the wales. l

In the form shown in Fig. 3, the first Wale, which is plain plated, is indicated by the numeral II: the first lap stripe Wale is indicated by I2, and has three knit-in yarns; I3, I 4, I5 are the intermediate lap stripe wales whereat two yarns only are knitin, the plain plating yarn floating; I6 designates the last lap stripe Wale and has three knit-in yarns; I1 designates the next following plain plated Wale beyond the lap stripe area. 'Ihe plain plating yarn I8 is thereby effectively hidden by floating back of the intermediate wales of the lap stripe, being knitted together with the main yarn I 9 and lap stripe yarn 20 at the ilrst and last lap stripe wales only of a given course.

In the form shown in Fig. 4, 2| is the last plain plated Wale; 22 is the first lap stripe Wale, at which Wale all three yarns are shown as being knitted; 23, 24, 25 are the intermediate wales having one knitted yarn only, namely, the lap stripe yarn, there being three floats including the rear stretch of the lap stripe yarn; 26 is the last lap stripe Wale, all three yarns being knitted-in in said Wale; 2'| is the following plain plated Wale and is composed of two yarns only. The fabric disclosed in Fig. 4 differs fro-m that shown in Fig. 3 in that the intermediate Wales 23, 24, 25 are composed of a single knitted yarn, the plain plating yarn 28 as well as the main or body yarn 29 floating back of and across the intermediate wales 23, 24, 25 of the lap stripe, the lap stripe yarn 30 only, being knitted-in at the said wales.

Fig. 5 discloses still another form more like the form shown in Fig. 2 than those of Figs. 3 and 4 in some respects; both Figs. 2 and 5 showing fabrics wherein there are not more than two yarns knitted at any Wale. In the form disclosed in Fig. 5 the last plain plated Wale 3| is followed by the first lap stripe Wale 32 adjacentv to which are the intermediate wales 33, 34, 35 or the lap stripearea, said intermediate Wales being identical with the intermediate wales 23, 24, 25 of Fig. 4, in that the lap stripe yarn alone is knitted the others loating. The last lap stripe Wale 36 as Well as the rst lap stripe Wale 32, are formed by floating the plating yarn 38 and knitting the body and lap stripe yarns 39 and 4I] respectively. The last Wale 31 ls plain plated as in the other forms. In this form the plain plating yarn floats and interlocks orpasses between the lap stripe float and the knitin wales of the lap stripe yarn.

yarns is availed of to connect the intermediate wales with the plain plated wales.

1t win be understood than in au the forms disclosed, the main or body yarn, the plain plating yarn, and the lap stripe, plating yarn may havedifferent characteristics as to Weight, color and quality, cotton, silk and artificial silk ordinarily being used.

The fabric shown in Fig. '7 corresponds to that shown in Fig. 2 excepting that the designs knitted into the fabric are stepped, in other Words, the Wrap stripe thread 5I is knitted into the fabric at one or tWowales (two such wales 52 and 53 being shown) and thereafter is knitted into adjacent Wales 54 and 55 only, floating across wales 52 and 53,-'following which the said wrap stripe thread 5I is knitted into wales 56 and 51 only, floating across wales 52-55 inclusive.

The fabric design disclosed in Fig. '7 has, for illustrative purposes only, been shown and described as corresponding to the form of fabric disclosed in Fig.I 2; however, the broken or stepped designs may obviously be knitted into the fabric and either or both body yarns may be floated across somewales and knitted into others as disclosed in Figs. 3-6.

Although a striping yarn has been referred to throughout this specification, it is not the intention to restrict this invention to the use of a single striping yarn as, ordinarily, and as disclosed in the Lawson and Lawson Patent 1,702,608, several such striping or lap stripe, plating yarns are used, certain needleslmitting one of the said striping yarns and other needles-knitting another such yarn.

In all the forms disclosed, the plain plating and lap stripe plating yarns are knitted, preferably though not necessarily, under tension, 'as light a tension as possible being maintained on the lap stripe or reinforcing yarn; the body yarn, on the other hand, being free from tension or -substantially so.

In the several modifications disclosed herein, float threads are the result of the knitting of the striped fabric, the lap stripe itself leaving floats and, the main or body yarn and the plain plating yarn appearing as floats in certain of the modifications; the oats may, however, be cut, if desired, the cutting aiding the elasticity. The cutting would, preferably, be by an operation subsequent to the knitting Aof the stocking or other fabric and is therefore not herein disclosed, not forming a necessary part of the invention.

While in the foregoing description, reference has been made to plain plating and plain plated Wales, it will be understood that such language is intended .to cover, as Well, reverse plated areas within or about-plain plated areas, plain plated wales being merely used to distinguish from Wales as herein disclosed, where the lap stripe plating or other yarn or yarns is combined with the body and plain plating yarns.

The invention is not necessarily restricted to the knitting-in of the third yarn by means of the casema striped area; Fig. 3 shows substantially the same y arrangement except that the plain plating yarn is also knit-in at the first and last wales of the striping area; Fig. 4 is similar to Fig. 3 except that in the modification disclosed in said Fig. 4

both the main or body yarn and the plain plating y yarn`oat across the wales intermediate the first and last striping wales, i. e., where the striping yarn is knit-in; Fig. 5 the body yarn only is knitinwith the striping yarn at the first and last wales of the stripe, the plain plating yarn floatyarns' oating.

In Fig. 8 the wrap stripe thread 56 is shown as being knitted into the fabric at wales b9, t@ and 6i, being first knitted into wales tt and 6i only and then being knitted into Wale 5@ only. y

In Fig. 9 the wales G2, tt and til are shown as having incorporated therein wrap stripe threads V65, 66,' 6l respectively, the wrap stripe thrlds d5 and tl being first knitted into the fabric at wales t2 and 6i after which the thread tt is knitted into the fabric at Wale 63. 4

In Figs. 8 and 9 the respective plating, body threads 68 and 69 are shown as being knitted into the fabric at some wales and fioating across intermediate wales at which wales wrap stripe 40 threads 58, 65, 66 or 61 are knitted.

Y generally designated at 12, of a diamond shaped outline, is knitted from a yarn 13. This fabric is similar to that of Fig. 4 and has the wrapped area knitted solid rather than open at spots as shown at C, Fig. l. Floats 14 ofthe body yarn pass behind the ornamental area 12 and other 5o floats 15 of the ornamental yarn passfto the back of the ornamental area and vextend between the opposite ends of the courses making up vsaid ornamental area.

All the modifications have in commonfthe idea 65 of floating, at least, one of the body and plain plating yarns to the rear of, at least, some of the striping wales, or, in other words,they all disclose the knitting-in at some ofthe striping wales, 'of one yarn or two, not more than two yarns having knitted loops at some of the said striping Wales.

Although specific forms of the fabric structure have been disclosed, the invention i's not limited to the fabrics specifically described but includes all modifications thereof that fall within. the scope of the appended claims. f

We claim:

e 1. A knitted fabric havinga body yarn and a 70 -wrap thread, such Vbody yarn being floated at some vof the wrap stitches or 1oops,'the number of which wrap stitches or loops varies from course to course, some of the wrap stitches or loops each being characterized by the thread being knitted 75 at such loop or stitch and such thread also oating to the next loop or stitch where it is again knitted into the fabric in a following course.

2. A knitted fabric having two body yarns, one of which is' a plating yarn, and a wrap thread, a body yarn being floated at some of the wrap stitches or loops, the number of which wrap stitches or loops varies from course to course, some of the wrap stitches or loops each being characterized by the thread being knitted at such loop or stitch and such thread also floating 'to the next loop or stitch where it is again knitted into the fabric in a following course,and wherein the plating body yarn is knitted together with the other body yarn inl every course but not at every wale. f

3. A knitted fabric having two body yarns, one

' of which is a plating yarn, and a wrap thread, a body yarn being floated at some of the wrap.

stitches or loops, the ynumber of which wrap stitches or loops varies from course to course, some of th wrap stitches orloops each being characterized by the thread being knitted at such loop or stitch and such thread also floating to the .next loop or stitch where it is again knitted into the fabric in a following course, and wherein the plating body yarn is knitted together with the other body yarn in every course but not at every Wale, and the' Wrap thread is knitted at some of the stitches with one of the body yarns.

t. A knitted fabric having a body yarn and awrap thread, such body yarn being floated at some of the wrap stitches or loops, the number of which wrap stitches or loops varies from course to course, some of the wrap stitches or loops each being characterized by the thread being knitted at such loop or stitch and such thread also floating to the next loop or stitch Where it is again knitted into the fabric in a following course, and

wherein the wrap thread is knitted at some of the stitches, with the said body yarn.

5. A knitted fabric having two body yarns and a. wrap thread, one such body yarn being floated at some of the wrap stitches or loops, the number knitted into the fabric in a following course, and 4 wherein a wrap thread is knitted together with both of the body yarns at some of the stitches and with one only of the said body yarns at other stitches, at which stitches the non-knitted yarn is floated.

6. A plain knit fabric comprising a main web knit from a body yarn and having an ornamentally configured area with float skips ofthe body yarn across varying numbers of wales in successive courses of the fabric; and a plain knit fill-in web completely closing the ornamentally configured area, formed from contrasting yarn, said main 'contrasting yarn in such manner that only contiguous edge loops of the two webs are interconnected, and the contrasting yarn in oated at the back of the fabric between opposite end loops of contiguous courses of said ll-in web.

8. A plain knit fabric comprising a main web knit from a body yarn and having an ornamentaliy configured area with oat skips of the body yarn in successive courses of the fabric; and a plain knit ll-in web completely closing the ornamentally congured area, formed from contrasting yarn, said main and fill-in Webs being connected only by interloopment of contiguous loops of the two yarns at the edges of the ornamentally congured area and the contrasting yarn being floated at the back of the fabric be- 

